Combination egg box and filler



Nov. 10, 1936. w, B. RUSSELL ETAL COMBINATION EGG Box AND FILLER Filed Jan'. 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l n NGV- 10, 1936 w. B. RUSSELL ET AL. 2,060,442

COMBINATION EGG BOX AND FILLER Filed Jan. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION EGG BOX AND FILLER Application January 23, 1933, Serial No. 653,128

8 Claims.

This invention relates to paper receptacles, and has particular reference to the production of partitioned paper boxes for receiving fragile articles such as eggs, or other articles.

Heretofore, a common practice has been to supply egg dealers with boxes accompanied by partitioning strips or fillers of such type as illustrated in Letters Patent No. 1,785,416, each member of the pair being in at folded condition, for the user to iirst set up a box, then set up a ller and insert it in the box, to prepare such assemblage for the placing of eggs in the cells. It is not always easy to separately hold the set up box .and the set up filler so that the latter can be easily inserted in the former.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide combined boxes and llers capable of shipment or storage in flat folded condition, the llers being permanently connected to the boxes in such accurate location or position relatively thereto that both members can be quickly converted to set-up condition ready to receive articles in the cells.

Another object is to provide such .a structure that when the partitioning or ll'er strips are shifted from flat collapsed condition to set-up condition, such shifting will automatically and simultaneously raise the rear wall of the box to upright position so that the lid or cover member, which is carried by said rear wall, will be in position for closing the box as soon as the articles, such as eggs, have been deposited in the cells of the iiller.

With said objects in View, and others hereinafter explained, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a complete combined box blank and set of filler strips in open flat condition.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same in iiat folded condition, as when shipped or stored.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same when partly set up and capable of receiving eggs in the cells as soon as the front wall and its tongues are folded up and in.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the same when completely set up and, presumably, containing eggs.

Figure 5 represents a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4, but omitting illustration of any articles in the cells of the filler.

Figure 6 represents a section on line 6--6 of Figure 4.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in all of the views.

Suitable box board material is cut and creased to provide blanks, each comprising a bottom sec- Y l tion I0, a front wall section I I, a rear wall section 5l I2, and a cover or lid section I3, the latter having a ap I4. Secured to the bottom and lid sections III .and I3, as by suitable adhesive, are strips I5 of cushioning material, preferably corrugated paper. Each corrugated strip is depressed along 10 a line at its mid-width, to form a groove I6 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The ller or partitioning comprises cross strips Il and long strips I8, notched and inter-engaged as explained in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to, and the upper edge portion of the long strip I8 which is nearest to the rear wall section I2, is connected to the upper portion of the said rearf wall section I2 by staples I9, or other equivalent permanent connecting means. Such connections by staples I9 or equivalents thereof, enable the inter-engaged partitioning strips to either lie fiat as shown in Figure 1, or to be raised to upright set-up condition illustrated in Figure 3, and permanently ensure accuracy of location of the latter in either position. And such connections serve the further purpose of facilitating the getting the assemblage ready to receive articles in the cells. This is because the act of raising the filler strips from the flat positions shown in Figure 1, so .as to open the cells, and swinging such set-up filler strips over onto the cushioned bottom section II), pulls the rear wall section I2 and its cushioned top section or lid up to the position illustrated in Figure 3. The members then remain in this position, due to the engagement of the lower edges of the strips I 1, I8, with the edges and `groove of the bottom cushion I5. The members are so relatively proportioned and positioned, including the cushioning strips I5, that when the filler members are raised or set upl the lower edge of the middle strip I8 is accommodated in the groove I6 of the bottom section I 0, while the lower edges of the other two strips I8 are accommodated in the 45 spaces along and beyond the margins of the strip I 5. Then when the box has been filled and closed, the upper edges of the long strips I8 are similarly accommodated in the mid-groove I6 and the marginal spaces described provided by the arrangement of the strip I5 carried by the lid section I3. In other Words, when the box is set up and closed, both the upper and lower marginal edges of the long partitioning strips I8 are prevented from being deflected out of straight conditions because of their entering the grooves I6 and the spaces at the margins of the cushioning strips I5.

When the box blanks are died out or otherwise made, each has its front wall II formed with tongues the outer ends of which are wider than said tongues are at their creased junctions with the said front wall, and the side edges of the said tongues are inwardly curved. The flap I4 is formed with outwardly curved end edges 2 I, the size and shape of said flap being such that the width or lateral area of the ap between the apexes of the curved edges 2| slightly exceeds the space between the two tongues 20 at their inner or narrower ends, as illustrated by the curved dotted lines in Figure 2.

When a user desires to convert the combined box and filler from the flat folded condition illustrated in Figure 2 to a set up condition to receive eggs, he converts it to the condition shown in Figure 3, lthe act of doing which pulls the rear Wall I2 and cushioned top section I3 to a substantially upright position. This is one motion. He then simply swings the front wall section II up and folds its tongues 20 down into two of the cell spaces as far as they will go, this being a second motion. The outer ends of th-e tongues 20 are a little wider than the lateral spaces in the filler cells so that, although the outer angular corners of the tongues will flex somewhat during the folding of the tongues into the cells as just described, said angular corners will eventually snap into locked positions behind edge portions of the strips I'I as illustrated by comparing Figures 5 and 6. This is very quickly effected, requiring but two operative motions to set the box up for use, and ensures maintenance of the box and the filler strips in open set-up condition ready for the eggs or other articles to be deposited in the cells.

After the cells are nlled, the lid I3 is closed and its flap I4 tucked down just inside the front Wall Il (Fig. 4), the apexes of the curved ends of the flap I4 frictionally engaging, but slipping past, those portions of the tongues 20 where their creases are when folded over and tucked down inside. Such friction, aided by the tendency of the flap I4 to bear against the inner surface of the front Wall II (Fig. 5), is sufficient to retain the box closed. But the lid I3 and its fiap I4 can be readily lifted, manually, when access to the contents of the box is desired.

We have found that with this structure as illustrated, no1 end wall sections of the box are requisite thereby enabling the boxes to be produced with practically no Waste of material. It is to be understood, however, that end wall tuckable sections may be provided without departing from our invention.

End portions of the ller strips necessarily project from one end of the assemblage, when folded flat, but the extent of their projection is not suflicient to cause or result in any displacement of the members from their proper relative positions. The staples I9 effectively prevent any displacement, either when the combined boxes and fillers are being shipped, or during the manipulation of the members when being set up or when eggs are being deposited in the cells.

Having now described our invention, we claim:-

1. A combined box and cellular filler therefor, both box and filler being foldable to flat condition, the front wall section of the box having tongues foldable into filler cells, the ends of said tongues being wider than the lateral spaces in the cells which they enter.

2. A combined box and cellular ller therefor, both box and ller being foldable to fiat condition, a wall section of the box having tongues foldable into ller cells, and the box having a lid provided with a tucking flap shaped to frictionally engage the inwardly folded tongues.

3. A collapsed container consisting of a wrapper including rear wall, bottom, and front wall sections terminating in aligned free end edges, and a collapsed cellular filler secured to the rear wall section, the front wall section having means for interengagement with the filler when the container is set up.

4. A collapsed container consisting of a wrapper including rear wall, bottom, and front wall sections terminating in aligned free end edges, and a collapsed cellular filler secured to the rear wall section, the front wall section having means for interengagement with the ller when the container is set up, the said container including also a lid or cover member closable over the ller.

5. A collapsed container consisting of a wrapper including rear wall, bottom, and front Wall sections terminating in aligned free end edges, and a collapsed cellular filler secured to the rear wall section, the front wall section having means for interengagement with the filler when the container is set up, the said container including also a lid or cover member closable over the filler, the bottom section and the lid or cover member having strips of corrugated material permanently attached thereto.

6. A collapsed container consisting of a wrapper including rear wall, bottom, and front wall sections terminating in aligned free end edges, and a collapsed cellular ller secured to the rear wall section, the front wall section having tongues formed with widened outer ends to interengage portions of the filler when the container is set up.

7. A collapsed container consisting of a wrapper including rear wall, bottom, and front wall sections terminating in aligned free end edges, and a collapsed cellular ller comprising longitudinal strips and transverse strips, the rear one of said longitudinal strips being secured to one of the wrapper sections, the front wall section having means for interengagement with the filler to hold the cells thereof open when the container is set up for use.

8. A collapsed container consisting of a wrapper including rear wall, bottom, and front wall sections terminating in aligned free end edges, and a collapsed cellular filler comprising longitudinal strips and transverse strips, the rear portion of said ller being secured to one of the wrapper sections, the front wall section having means for interengagement with the ller to hold the cells thereof open when the container is set up for use.

WALDO B. RUSSELL. MELVIN H. SIDEBOTHAM. 

